What Is Known About Brain Aging?
What is known about brain aging and what can be done about it? Comparatively little at this point, sad to say. Obviously, neurodegenerative conditions - based on what are essentially structural or infrastructural failures in the brain and supporting organs - must be understood and prevented or cured if we are to enjoy much longer, healthier lives brought on by advancing medical technology. Real progress is being made in that arena, though not yet in the realm of preventing the known roots of age-related damage. Beyond that, however, there are the poorly understood ways in which a lifetime of thought and activity changes the structure and wiring of our brains - sometimes for the worse. At the end of the present day, as illustrated by this Washington Times piece, we are left with a proven "use it or lose it" and the knowledge that much more research is required.
Link: http://washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20060517-111239-1612r